A-Infos (en) UPDATE: School of the Americas Watch [1. Never Again/Gerardi Assassination 2.Capitol Hill]

[Robert Cherwink <rc@vom.com>]

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1.  Never Again Report Links SOA Graduates to Human Rights Abuses in 
Guatemala

2.  HOUSE MEMBERS WRITE TO RENO ON BEHALF OF JAILED PROTESTERS

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For more information about the School of the Americas and SOA Watch, see:
http://www.derechos.org/soaw
send email to soaw@derechos.org
or call 202-234-3440
------------------------------------------------------

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1.  Never Again Report Links SOA Graduates to Human Rights Abuses in 
Guatemala
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May 13, 1998

Never Again Report Links SOA Graduates to Human Rights Abuses in 
Guatemala

With the recent assassination of Guatemalan bishop Juan Gerardi,
international attention has focused on human rights abuses during that
country's civil war. Just days prior to his assassination, Bishop
Gerardi played a key role in the release of an extensive human rights
report titled Guatemala: Never Again, which details the worst of the
atrocities. The report, which is widely viewed as critical to ending
the state of impunity in Guatemala, confirms that School of the
Americas graduates played a key role in planning and initiating the
brutal counterinsurgency strategies used during that country's civil
war. 

The report consists of four volumes, only two of which are currently
available. Although the two volumes mention few names of human rights
violators, most of those listed are SOA graduates. SOA graduates
formed the backbone of the presidential cabinets under the
dictatorships of Gen. Romeo Lucas García and Gen. Efraín Rios Montt.
They were also deeply involved in the Guatemalan Intelligence Agency
(D-2), in the formation of the notorious civil defense patrols, and in
several of the most infamous human rights cases. 

Guatemalan Intelligence Agency (D-2)

Throughout the war, the Guatemalan intelligence agency was one of the
most feared instruments of government repression. According to Never
Again, the D-2 was involved in systematic human rights abuses,
including assassinations, extrajudicial executions, and
assassinations. Declassified documents define the military
intelligence agency as "Dedicated to finding and eliminating leftists
by three different means: disappearing them, publicly eliminating
them, or inviting them to leave the country." (Vol. 2, pp. 88-89).
Never Again lists the following SOA graduates as holding posts in the
D-2: Federico Sablavarro Meza, César Quinteros Alvarado, Luís Felipe
Caballeros Meza, Harry Ponce, Francisco Edgar Dominguez López, Eduardo
Ochoa Barrios (Vol. 2, p.90), Francisco Ortega Menaldo (Vol. 2, p.
91), Manuel Callejas y Callejas (Vol. 2, p. 93), Domingo Velasquez
Axpuac, José Manuel Rivas Rios (Vol. 2, p. 111). 

Creation of the Civil Defense Patrols

According to Never Again, Gen. Lucas García's brother, Benedicto Lucas
García, who is an SOA graduate, was responsible for the creation of
civil militias, which later became known as the Civilian Defense
Patrols (or PAC for their initials in Spanish). The PACs were
responsible for many human rights violations during the war, and are
described in the report as "a permanent control apparatus" (Vol. 2, p.
73). 

Myrna Mack Case

The 1991 assassination of Guatemalan anthropologist Myrna Mack was one
of the best-known human rights cases in Guatemala and has galvanized
attempts to put an end to impunity. Two of the three military officers
cited in the report are SOA graduates. They are Juan Oliva and Edgar
Godoy Gaitán, who have been brought to court on charges that they were
the intellectual authors of her assassination (Vol. 2, p. 77),. 

Mincho Case

Another notable human rights case that occurred in 1996, nearly
derailing the peace negotiations between the government and the URNG,
was the Mincho case. SOA graduate Marco Tulio Espinoza was named in a
preliminary United Nations report on 5/20/97 as responsible for the
disappearance of Juan José Rodas (alias Mincho), a member of the ORPA,
who was involved in the kidnapping of Olga de Novella (Vol. 2, p.76). 

Michael Devine Case

The assassination of U.S. citizen Michael Devine by Guatemalan
military forces in 1990 resulted in a cut off of U.S. aid to that
country. Guatemalan President Serrano Elias ordered that charges be
brought against those responsible for the assassination. However, he
soon became frustrated by the evasiveness of the army and the D-2, and
he blamed SOA graduate César Augusto Cabrera Mejía for being the first
to block the investigation, by denying access to the relevant records.
(Vol. 2, p.91) Another SOA graduate, Luís Miranda Trejo, commanded the
military base from which Captain Hugo Contreras, who was implicated in
Devine's assassination, supposedly escaped from a high security area
(Vol. 2, p. 84). 

Bamaca Case

Never Again also contains testimony relating to the torture in 1992 of
Efraín Bamaca, husband of U.S. citizen Jennifer Harbury. According to
the testimony, SOA graduate Julio Alpirez was present during the
torture sessions (Vol. 2, p. 205). Two other SOA graduates, Ismael
Segura Abularcach and Col. Haroldo Ruano del Cid commanded the special
forces that made use of Bamaca while he was a prisoner by forcing him
to guide army patrols in their search for guerrilla arms caches (Vol.
2, p.105). 

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For more information about the School of the Americas and SOA Watch, see:
http://www.derechos.org/soaw
send email to soaw@derechos.org
or call 202-234-3440
------------------------------------------------------


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2.  HOUSE MEMBERS WRITE TO RENO ON BEHALF OF JAILED PROTESTERS
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This week Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II circulated a letter on Capitol
Hill to Attorney General Reno asking her to give favorable
consideration to the request for clemency that has been filed on
behalf of the 25 SOA protesters.

The letter which will be sent at the end of this week, will be
signed by Representatives Conyers (MI), McNulty (NY), Bonior (MI),
McGovern (MA), Vento (MN), Olver (MA), Kind (WI), Barcia (MI), Stark
(CA), Moakley (MA), Poshard (IL), Yates (IL), Brown (CA), McDermott
(WA), Markey (MA), and Watt (NC).


NEW COSPONSOR FOR H.R. 611

Rep. Sherwood L. Boehlert (R-NY) has signed on as a cosponsor to H.R.
611, legislation which would close the SOA.  The total number of
cosponsors is now 139. 

------------------------------------------------------
For more information about the School of the Americas and SOA Watch, see:
http://www.derechos.org/soaw
send email to soaw@derechos.org
or call 202-234-3440
------------------------------------------------------

Peace!

Rob,     Sector Air Raid Warden at Rob's Place
            http://www.vom.com/rc/home.htm
A SITE DEDICATED TO SPIRIT, TRUTH, PEACE, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM
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              Robert Cherwink <rc@vom.com>

WHEN SPIDERS UNITE, THEY CAN TIE DOWN A LION  --Ethiopian Proverb


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